Follow the direction of the tour and start by going through the wooden gate.

Cuccuruzzu and Capula archaeological sites

Passing through a Mediterranean forest in the heart of a preserved environment, you will discover the Casteddu de Cuccuruzzu, one of the island's twenty or so known casteddi, located mainly in southern Corsica. The Cuccuruzzu site was mentioned in 1959 by archaeologist Roger Grosjean, responsible for the renowned sites of Filitosa (Sollacaro) and Cauria (Sartène). In 1964, the study was taken up by François de Lanfranchi, who continued and extended his research into the 1990s. Erected by Bronze Age man, the site was set in a granite chaos dominating the northern slopes of the Livia plateau. Below the casteddu to the north-east, several terraces and shelters have been occupied; this is a village, surrounded by a protective wall (not accessible). The main monument is the Torra (tower: probably used for storing and processing foodstuffs), which still retains part of its roof. The remains collected during the excavations are on display at the Alta Rocca departmental museum. Continuing on through the undergrowth, you come to the medieval site of casteddu de Capula: this site allows visitors to identify the various island cultures that flourished on the same site. Occupied since the Bronze Age, it was later at the heart of feudalism. .

Casteddu of Cuccuruzzu

The casteddu of Cuccuruzzu is like a fortress, protecting a village area that once occupied the rest of the rocky spur. The only entrance is via a chicane-shaped corridor formed between two granite balls, making it easy to defend. Inside, there were loggias for craftsmen's activities, storage chambers for foodstuffs, and bowls and cups used for grinding cereals, as shown by the remains found during the excavations and on display at the Levie museum. The features of the western enclosure may have served as sentry boxes, with narrow openings comparable to loopholes. As in other casteddi of this type, the ensemble is dominated by a large circular structure, the torra. Here, it is 4 to 5 m high and probably had an additional storey. Opening onto the peaks of Bavella, it features a corridor flanked by recesses, leading to a main room with an adjoining space. Roger Grosjean has interpreted the torra as a religious monument, but the similarity with the nuraghe in northern Sardinia suggests that it was intended as a place for storing and preserving the tribe's possessions and food resources. Its position at the highest point of the site also makes it a defensive or observation building offering a wide view of the surrounding area.

At the crossroads, turn left to go to Casteddu de Cucuruzzu.

Be careful not to slip on the rocks!

Capula website

The Capula fortification, located in the commune of Levie (Corse-du-Sud), stands at an altitude of 754 m atop a granodioritic hill rising out of the Pianu di Livia.

The upper part of the relief is occupied by a quadrangular tower, faced with small and medium-sized squared granite rubble, laid in horizontal beds and bound with a fairly fine lime mortar.

Below this building is a platform, surrounded by a cyclopean wall, where at least three adjoining buildings, probably corresponding to the lord's dwelling, have been erected. The architecture of these buildings was adapted to the various topographical constraints, as well as to the presence of granite balls that restricted living space.

The builders took advantage of the rock faces by cutting into them and creating the cavities needed, for example, to lay structural beams. Numerous emboitures in turn bear witness to the quarrying work that fed the building site.

These natural constraints obviously had an impact on the organisation and quality of the defensive system. The enclosure, which is mainly visible at one of the access ramps, is organised around a foundation footing made up of regular courses of parallelepipedic rubble, with no binder, set against the substrate. On the other slopes, there are only a few fragments of walls wedged between the rocky massifs.

Beyond this enclosure, small terraces can be seen between the granite balls, and the wall bases that can be seen through the vegetation suggest that a village settlement developed here. Finally, a few metres away from these terraces, a paved floor delimiting a rectangle is the site of the former medieval chapel.

Turn left at the crossroads to continue along the route.

Remains of the San Larenzu Chapel

The remains of the Romanesque chapel of San Larenzu can be seen right next to the "new" chapel, rebuilt much later using stones from the old building. The foundations of the chapel, traces of the apse and the presumed side entrance can still be seen.
The Alta Rocca is home to a number of Romanesque buildings, the best preserved of which is in the Commune of Carbini: the church of Saint Jean Baptiste and its majestic bell tower.

Turn left between the rocks to reach the Capula site.

Prehistoric village

Meet the team of prehistoric craftsmen from the Chalcophore Association, in the heart of the prehistoric village on the Cuccuruzzu and Capula sites. You'll be transported by demonstrations of ancient techniques, in the work of metallurgy (from wax to bronze), hard and soft rocks.

Retrace your steps to continue the route.

Continue left past the remains of the Romanesque chapel.

Go through the gate and turn left to return to reception.

Continue to the left to return to the reception area along the track.